Monday, April 26, 2010
David's First Portraits
I took David in to have some portraits done today. Wow, he was active! But I think our patient photographer, Miss Jenny, got some great shots of him!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Ten Years!
Our first glimpse of our new daughter...
Our big girl now...
Our first family photo...
My, how our family has grown...
Happy Ten-Year Gotcha Day, Hannah! We love you!
Friday, April 09, 2010
Goodbye, Sweet Ida
This afternoon, our sweet hamster, Ida, went to hamster heaven. She had not been doing well for a couple of weeks. Then today, when I checked on her, I just couldn't get her to move, and her breathing was very labored. I scooped her up and held her until the girls got home from school. They had about an hour with her to say goodbye and gently pet her and love on her until she drew her last little breath. We're all sad this evening, but grateful for the time we had with our dear little pet.Friday, April 02, 2010
Two Weeks
We've been home with David for two weeks, now. The time has flown, and yet it feels as if he's been a part of our family forever. He is really settling into our family routine - what little routine we have, at this point.
For whatever reason, David hates baths. He stands at the side of the tub and plays in the water when his sisters are bathing, and his shrieks and giggles seem to indicate that he wants in on the fun, too. But not yet. Even after our many attempts over the past few weeks, he still screams and yells when we put him in the water. However, his screaming subsides more quickly each time we bathe him, so hopefully it won't be long before he actually enjoys his baths!
He loves to eat anything we give him, and he's very messy in the process. This is what the floor by his chair looks like after every meal. My broom and vacuum are getting quite a workout.
Trying on his sisters' rain boots...
David's been having lots of fun with his sisters. They have all been so good about playing with him and helping me with him. We have had to teach him about NOT hitting, and they get upset when they are on the receiving end of his outbursts, but they recover quickly and are very loving toward him.
Hannah has particularly impressed us with her care for her little brother. She has a natural gift with young children and wants to be a teacher someday. In the mean time, she is excited to enroll in babysitting classes at the park district this summer and looks forward to being a youth helper in the babies' and toddlers' rooms at church. David will provide her with a lot of practical, hands-on experience!
David surprised me the other day by picking up an apple and eating it whole!
He has been sleeping well throughout the night. He will occasionally cry out in his sleep, but continues to sleep through those times, so I'm only up for a few minutes to check on him. Naps are non-existent. There's just too much fun to be had and too many new things to explore to settle down for a mid-afternoon rest. He has crashed a couple of times in the late afternoon, but then settling down to sleep at night has been difficult for him. On the other hand, pushing through the day without a nap results in a very challenging "Witching Hour" (about 4:00 until bedtime), with frustrations and meltdowns and general ornery behavior. What to do... What to do...
Trying on his sisters' rain boots...
David's been having lots of fun with his sisters. They have all been so good about playing with him and helping me with him. We have had to teach him about NOT hitting, and they get upset when they are on the receiving end of his outbursts, but they recover quickly and are very loving toward him.
Hannah has particularly impressed us with her care for her little brother. She has a natural gift with young children and wants to be a teacher someday. In the mean time, she is excited to enroll in babysitting classes at the park district this summer and looks forward to being a youth helper in the babies' and toddlers' rooms at church. David will provide her with a lot of practical, hands-on experience!
The other day, I introduced David to PlayDoh. He loved it! Oh, the little things we take for granted that he has yet to learn about!
David surprised me the other day by picking up an apple and eating it whole!
He has been sleeping well throughout the night. He will occasionally cry out in his sleep, but continues to sleep through those times, so I'm only up for a few minutes to check on him. Naps are non-existent. There's just too much fun to be had and too many new things to explore to settle down for a mid-afternoon rest. He has crashed a couple of times in the late afternoon, but then settling down to sleep at night has been difficult for him. On the other hand, pushing through the day without a nap results in a very challenging "Witching Hour" (about 4:00 until bedtime), with frustrations and meltdowns and general ornery behavior. What to do... What to do...Speaking of ornery behavior, we have had to put the "Time-Out Chair" to use already. We correct David verbally for most infractions, but there are a few things - hitting, scratching, biting, throwing something at someone - that warrant more impressive measures. We pick him up, park him in the chair, look him in the eye and tell him what it was that he did wrong. He fusses and refuses to look at us, but we know he's getting the message. Then we hug and kiss him and send him on his way. We're seeing less and less of the truly offensive behaviors - our method seems to be working.
Those trying moments are few, though. For the most part, David is a fun, loving, happy little boy. He's always ready with arms outstretched for a hug or lips puckered up for a kiss. He laughs all. the. time! He finds great joy in his discoveries of everyday things we take for granted.
David seems to be talking up a storm. I only wish I could understand him! But he's picking up lots of words from us, too. It's so darling to hear him say, "night night" and pucker up at bedtime. Yesterday, we were teaching him to not be so rough as he drew with crayons. Abbie kept saying, "Gentle. Gentle." And he reapeated "gentle" so sweetly - as he smashed the point of yet another crayon! I love to hear him say his sisters' names: "Pan Pan" (Hannah's Chinese nickname), "Ray Ray" and "Abbieeeeeee"! When I tell him, "Well done!", he claps his hands and says, "Yaaaay!"
There's icky stuff, too. This week I had to take him to the pediatrician's office for 4 immunizations, x-rays and gallons of blood work. This is probably the hardest thing I need to do in our adoptions. My son has begun to trust me and rely on me, and then I have to hold him down while strangers prick and poke and stick him. He was strong and fought hard. At one point, one of the lab techs blew up a latex glove to try to distract him. His screaming subsided as he pondered this silly toy, and then he remembered he was angry and started yelling again. I'm glad that part is over!
So that's this week's update on David! I apologize that this post is so disjointed and poorly written. It has taken me all morning and afternoon to put it together. I can't seem to be able to stay on any one task for more than a minute or two before I have to change a diaper, clean up a mess or break up a squabble. But that's OK - I'm loving life with our little boy!
So that's this week's update on David! I apologize that this post is so disjointed and poorly written. It has taken me all morning and afternoon to put it together. I can't seem to be able to stay on any one task for more than a minute or two before I have to change a diaper, clean up a mess or break up a squabble. But that's OK - I'm loving life with our little boy!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Easy Lemon Pound Cake
I needed to bring something tasty to Knit Night last night, but didn't have time to drag four kids to the grocery store for ingredients. I found this recipe for Lemon Pound Cake that used ingredients I always have in the house, and it was easy and yummy!
Easy Lemon Pound Cake
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1. Mix together 1 cup sugar and butter.
2. Add eggs and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; mix well.
3. Add salt, flour and baking powder to mixture.
4. Add milk.
5. Bake at 325 F in a well-greased loaf pan for one hour or until golden brown.
6. Mix 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar.
7. Use a toothpick to make holes in top of cake and drizzle lemon juice and sugar mixture over the top of the cake when removed from oven.
8. Serve warm or cool.
I read that some folks served it with strawberries on top, too!
Easy Lemon Pound Cake
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1. Mix together 1 cup sugar and butter.
2. Add eggs and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; mix well.
3. Add salt, flour and baking powder to mixture.
4. Add milk.
5. Bake at 325 F in a well-greased loaf pan for one hour or until golden brown.
6. Mix 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar.
7. Use a toothpick to make holes in top of cake and drizzle lemon juice and sugar mixture over the top of the cake when removed from oven.
8. Serve warm or cool.
I read that some folks served it with strawberries on top, too!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Airport Photos!
A few photos taken at the airport when we arrived home with David. Two families from Hannah's group joined my mom and the girls in welcoming us home!
I love the blurry photo of the girls and me spotting each other...
Checking out the new brother...
David handled the chaos well...
We Are Family!!!!
We Are Family!!!!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Life With David - Week One
We've been home an entire week. Can you believe it? I sure can't, but the calendar doesn't lie, so I'm going with it.
I think we're pretty much over the jet lag by now. David slept through the night Thursday and Friday night, so I think he's over it, too. Naps are non-existent. Even though I take him into his room, close the door, close the shades and lie down on his bed with him, he keeps popping up to play. I think just being in his new room is exciting for him, and he runs around exploring his toys and books and clothes and bed and rug and...
Speaking of running, David does! And just like my friends who have experience with toddler boys warned me, he's into everything! He pulls open drawers and doors, throws things into the clothes dryer while I'm doing laundry, dumps out bins of toys all around him, and finds great joy in all of it! We need to keep the bathroom doors closed because he delights in watching the water flush down the toilet, and I don't want my car keys or cell phone or anything else to go down with it!
David and his sisters are really enjoying each other. The girls play so nicely and patiently with him. The other morning, he got up after Hannah and Rachel had left for school and he was looking for them. He stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up and called to them - "Yo! Yo!"
He's an affectionate boy - he gives us kisses when we kiss him. Yesterday, I was holding him and we were face-to-face. He spontaneously puckered up and gave me a smooch. Melted this Mama's heart! He's always throwing his arms up and saying, "Mama!" and giving me a big hug when I reach down for him!
There are still tough moments. Sometimes David just cries and wails and is inconsolable. He goes from pushing me away to desperately grabbing onto me. Yesterday, I went into the garage and he thought I was leaving - he came completely unglued. It will be a long time before he can totally trust his family - we will be patient. As a result, tomorrow he will attend his first knitting group evening. Abbie is jealous.
Actually, Abbie has had some tough moments herself, being displaced as the "baby" in the family. She and I remind each other constantly that she is my "baby girl" - that seems to help. In the mean time, she is very helpful with David - fetching diapers, serving him food (though I do any actual feeding), playing with him, distracting him when he gets ornery. They have their mornings together while the big girls are in school, and it has been good for their bonding.
As for food, well, our boy is an eating machine! He will eat any food we put in front of him, and won't stop as long as there's something on his plate. We have to decide for him when he's done, otherwise he'd eat all day! I hope the "pickies" never set in with him! I love giving him something he really likes - he lets out a happy, contented, "Aaaahhhh!" with a big smile!
David's talking quite a bit, too! He mimics many English words, including "night-night", and the ever-lovely, "NO!" I taught him to say "hello" on his toy phone - it comes out "yeh-yoooooo!" Too cute! He also talks quite a bit in ways we simply can't understand. I think of how much we understood of our girls' speech at his age, and I'm certain he's speaking toddler Mandarin. I sure wish I could understand him. He does say "xie" (shoes) and "wah-wah" (doll). At least I could catch that much! He also walks around saying, "Yi, er!" (one, two) over and over again as he marches around. I continue to use as many Mandarin words as I know with him - he seems to respond to me better when I do.
We have our daily (sometimes hourly) toddler frustrations. David is trying to communicate something and, try as we might, we just can't figure it out. He hasn't taken to sign language - he seems to prefer saying the actual words (particularly "more"). He also gets angry when we tell him "no" to anything - a cookie, glass dishes, dangerous objects. He just throws himself face down on the floor and yells and carries on. We're learning to ignore it.
But he is also just so full of joy. He usually wakes up in the morning and toddles into the kitchen in his cute jammies, a huge, sweet smile on his face. He laughs easily, and dances with glee when especially happy (gotta try and capture that on video!). David is loving life and all the exciting discoveries that go along with his new home and family!
We saw the pediatrician on Thursday. Just a physical. The doctor and I discussed what he will need regarding blood work and "other" samples, immunizations (he's missing a few critical ones), and other testing. Once that's all done, we will proceed with planning and preparing for his lip surgery.
I also placed a call to Child and Family Connections. We will schedule a full developmental assessment, with emphasis on Speech. Depending on how he does, we will determine if he needs to start services before or after his surgery.
So there you have it - a recap of our first full week together. Life as a family of six is beautiful - we are so blessed. Sometimes I look at David, and I think back to where we were in our wait last summer, and I am just amazed at the miracle of it all. He is perfect for our family, and definitely well worth the 3 1/2-year wait!
I think we're pretty much over the jet lag by now. David slept through the night Thursday and Friday night, so I think he's over it, too. Naps are non-existent. Even though I take him into his room, close the door, close the shades and lie down on his bed with him, he keeps popping up to play. I think just being in his new room is exciting for him, and he runs around exploring his toys and books and clothes and bed and rug and...
Speaking of running, David does! And just like my friends who have experience with toddler boys warned me, he's into everything! He pulls open drawers and doors, throws things into the clothes dryer while I'm doing laundry, dumps out bins of toys all around him, and finds great joy in all of it! We need to keep the bathroom doors closed because he delights in watching the water flush down the toilet, and I don't want my car keys or cell phone or anything else to go down with it!
David and his sisters are really enjoying each other. The girls play so nicely and patiently with him. The other morning, he got up after Hannah and Rachel had left for school and he was looking for them. He stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up and called to them - "Yo! Yo!"
He's an affectionate boy - he gives us kisses when we kiss him. Yesterday, I was holding him and we were face-to-face. He spontaneously puckered up and gave me a smooch. Melted this Mama's heart! He's always throwing his arms up and saying, "Mama!" and giving me a big hug when I reach down for him!
There are still tough moments. Sometimes David just cries and wails and is inconsolable. He goes from pushing me away to desperately grabbing onto me. Yesterday, I went into the garage and he thought I was leaving - he came completely unglued. It will be a long time before he can totally trust his family - we will be patient. As a result, tomorrow he will attend his first knitting group evening. Abbie is jealous.
Actually, Abbie has had some tough moments herself, being displaced as the "baby" in the family. She and I remind each other constantly that she is my "baby girl" - that seems to help. In the mean time, she is very helpful with David - fetching diapers, serving him food (though I do any actual feeding), playing with him, distracting him when he gets ornery. They have their mornings together while the big girls are in school, and it has been good for their bonding.
As for food, well, our boy is an eating machine! He will eat any food we put in front of him, and won't stop as long as there's something on his plate. We have to decide for him when he's done, otherwise he'd eat all day! I hope the "pickies" never set in with him! I love giving him something he really likes - he lets out a happy, contented, "Aaaahhhh!" with a big smile!
David's talking quite a bit, too! He mimics many English words, including "night-night", and the ever-lovely, "NO!" I taught him to say "hello" on his toy phone - it comes out "yeh-yoooooo!" Too cute! He also talks quite a bit in ways we simply can't understand. I think of how much we understood of our girls' speech at his age, and I'm certain he's speaking toddler Mandarin. I sure wish I could understand him. He does say "xie" (shoes) and "wah-wah" (doll). At least I could catch that much! He also walks around saying, "Yi, er!" (one, two) over and over again as he marches around. I continue to use as many Mandarin words as I know with him - he seems to respond to me better when I do.
We have our daily (sometimes hourly) toddler frustrations. David is trying to communicate something and, try as we might, we just can't figure it out. He hasn't taken to sign language - he seems to prefer saying the actual words (particularly "more"). He also gets angry when we tell him "no" to anything - a cookie, glass dishes, dangerous objects. He just throws himself face down on the floor and yells and carries on. We're learning to ignore it.
But he is also just so full of joy. He usually wakes up in the morning and toddles into the kitchen in his cute jammies, a huge, sweet smile on his face. He laughs easily, and dances with glee when especially happy (gotta try and capture that on video!). David is loving life and all the exciting discoveries that go along with his new home and family!
We saw the pediatrician on Thursday. Just a physical. The doctor and I discussed what he will need regarding blood work and "other" samples, immunizations (he's missing a few critical ones), and other testing. Once that's all done, we will proceed with planning and preparing for his lip surgery.
I also placed a call to Child and Family Connections. We will schedule a full developmental assessment, with emphasis on Speech. Depending on how he does, we will determine if he needs to start services before or after his surgery.
So there you have it - a recap of our first full week together. Life as a family of six is beautiful - we are so blessed. Sometimes I look at David, and I think back to where we were in our wait last summer, and I am just amazed at the miracle of it all. He is perfect for our family, and definitely well worth the 3 1/2-year wait!
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